Unreal Engine Animation Programmer (Games)

Location: Remote, full-time. For our Dubai-based game studio, we are looking for an experienced Animation Programmer with strong Unreal Engine skills to join our team. In this role, you will help build performant, gameplay-driven animation systems, working alongside designers, technical artists, and gameplay programmers. What you will do • Design, implement, and optimize animation systems in Unreal Engine 5. • Develop animation state machines, blend spaces, animation blueprints, and character movement systems. • Integrate root motion, IK, Control Rig, and animation layers. • Profile, debug, and optimize animation performance to ensure smooth and responsive gameplay in both single-player and multiplayer environments. • Collaborate closely with gameplay programmers, designers, and artists to bring characters and gameplay to life. What we need from you • 5+ years of Unreal Engine experience, ideally with shipped video games or previous gaming industry experience. • Strong understanding of Unreal’s animation framework (AnimGraph, Animation Blueprints, state machines). • Hands‑on experience with character movement, locomotion systems, and gameplay-driven animation. • Strong problem‑solving skills and a proactive, collaborative approach. • Passion for games and motivation to grow with a fast‑moving, energetic studio team. Good to have • Motion matching • Gameplay Ability System (GAS) • Multiplayer animation replication and prediction • Control Rig and IK Rig • Performance profiling and optimization experience